Amman, Jordan, April 21, 2024: Ahmad Abu Al Soud will become the first Jordanian gymnast to take part in the Olympic Games after he won the gold medal on the pommel horse at the 16th Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Saturday, April 20.
Al Soud, returning to the city where he won the Asian Championships gold two years ago, booked a historic berth at the Paris 2024 Olympics by clinching first place with a score of 15.500, ahead of Lee Chih Kai of Chinese Taipei (15.400), and world champion Rhys McClenaghan of Ireland who finished third (15.233).
The coveted Olympic berth is the latest accolade for the 28-year-old Al Soud who had previously won a silver medal and bronze medal at the 2022 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool and the 2023 edition in Antwerp, Belgium, respectively.
A string of good results this season resulted in Al Soud dominating the World Cup tour standings. His gold medal effort in Doha on Saturday cemented his place at the top of the standings and a ticket to Paris.
Al Soud posted on his Facebook page: “Praise be to Allah, gold in the fourth round of the World Cup in Doha after securing gold in the Egypt Tour and silver in the Germany Tour.
“Thank God, ranked first in the world with a total of 85 points. A dream of many years has come true, and God willing, Olympic gold,” Al Soud added.
